PG Cruiser

1) how was the ferry ride? It was windy and the waves were rough when we were on the ferry in Cozumel, so the ride was VERY rocky. I was on the upper deck on the way to the mainland and I came very close to throwing up, especially when I saw the others doing so. On the way back to Cozumel, the waves were rougher. I stayed on the lower deck. It was less rocky. As an aside, it was the first time that I have been rained on on a cruise excursion. If there is rain in the forecast, I suggest you bring a poncho. 2) was there any snacks or food provided? A bagged lunch - a sandwich and small bag of chips - was provided on the way to the Tulum ruins. Our guide took us to a store that gave away bottled water. ... Or are there food stands at the cenotes? IIRC, there were food stands by the entrance to the çenote 3) were there bathrooms on the ferry and coach bus? I have colitis and need to make sure there are bathrooms Yes, there were bathrooms on the ferry. As for the tour bus, we were told to use the restrooms before boarding the bus. I don't remember seeing a bathroom on it. 4) was the excursion worth it? The excursion's worth is subjective. For me it was because I'm fascinated with Mayan culture. I don't like water activities but the people on the tour with me looked like they had a good time at the cenote. I ended up being the videographer for their plunges into the çenote. Did you feel rushed? Again, the answer to this is subjective. Personally, I did not feel rushed; maybe because I have a short attention span. The guide always reminded us to come back on time after the free time we were allowed to explore. People who want to take tons of pictures may feel rushed. (Not me... one selfie and I'm done)

In all my cruises post-COVID, Cruise Compasses were placed in my room each night. Some ships had them on the racks by Guest Services, others did not. I've seen a good number of guests still using them instead of the app.

The first thing that entered my mind was "Abyss top (entrance)"

Better VOOM?

I think one of those ships was turned away at St Thomas

Right after I got off the Brilliance on Christmas Eve, I headed to Epcot, mainly to watch the Candlelight Processional. As they were lining us up, the usher kept on saying, please fill every available space. It was so different from what I kept hearing on Brilliance - "Social distancing, please." They wouldn't even let us form the "train" during the 70s party ha ha.

Where is the source of this information? Was there a recent update? This is what I'm seeing on the CDC website regarding what they consider to be fully vaccinated. Nothing is said about booster shots.

You can do it on a laptop/computer, but not with a smartphone. I came up with a workaround to let me do it on my iPhone.

Someone has posted that they have allowed Freedom guests to get off the ship on Coco Cay

I attest to this! Just like pre-COVID I had a wonderful time - meeting nice people, enjoying the trivia games, dancing straight through the 70s party medley, and of course, enjoying fine dining every night.

That is if the risk assessment is left to the guests. Some will choose to sail, some will not. My original post is more from the vantage point of the cruise lines. Will the cruise lines get to a point where they say, "This is too much trouble for us!"?

Post-COVID, I was able to eat with two other couples in my party. We were seated in a table for six. My friends sailed on the Allure as a group of 17 (6 staterooms). They were seated at tables next to each other in the main dining room. It was hard to find a spot for them but the section manager found one.

It's a good thing you were not the Izumi manager I spoke with. With an explanation this plausible, I would have been denied my refund ha ha

With all that is happening, could cruising be put on pause again? It's not just the COVID numbers. This recent surge is impacting the ships' ability to provide satisfactory service to their guests - cancelled port stops, shows, and on-board activities. I'm not trying to be a fear monger here. I've been on six cruises post-COVID and all has gone well. But to quote Han Solo, "I have a bad feeling about this!"

I did not read the T&Cs for the coffee card until I encountered this issue. The baristas on the ships have always volunteered the information that I can use the card on future sailings. But now that I've read the T&Cs, I will not expect any of the RC ships I sail on to allow me to use the remaining slots on my card. If they do, fine. If not, there's always the coffee machine at the Diamond Lounge (and the Diamond drink vouchers). I will also also stop giving away Coffee Cards as gifts to my friends. UPDATE #1: My friends who sailed on the Allure were able to use the Coffee Cards I purchased on the Jewel (see original post) UPDATE #2: I asked about this issue on the Brilliance. The barista told me that they have received a memo telling them to allow guests to use coffee cards purchased from previous sailings. Knowing how inconsistently policies are implemented on Royal ships, you may not want to quote me on this.

I am still looking for official documentation for this difference in the one protein and combo charge. I raised this issue on the Oasis by showing them that nothing is said in the documentation about the higher surcharge for the Premiere option. They gave me a refund.

Is there a Cruise Planner section on the Royal App?

So what's with all the denial of debarkation on the private islands? We're getting (somewhat unconfirmed) reports that at least ships from 4 cruise lines are being denied entry. EDIT: Make that 3 cruise lines. We're getting accounts that Disney guests have been allowed to get off the ship on Castaway Cay

From another thread we see a port cam image of three ships in Nassau at the moment. We're trying to get information whether guests were allowed to get off the ships there.

From the port schedule, it's Mariner and Independence. The non-RC one is the Scarlet Lady

I googled this and I've seen news of one other ship, the MSC Seashore, being denied entry on Ocean Cay yesterday (December 29)

Are they showing "Contagion?"

Hey, hey... I loved Cats on the Oasis. I watched it three times. One showing was interrupted several times with a loud announcement calling for those who I assume haven't gotten tested yet. I couldn't believe a production show would be interrupted by something that was not a real emergency. I felt it was very disrespectful to the artists on that stage.

I was in Room 3524 on the Brilliance. There was a noise that went on and off and they could not figure out what it was. At times it sounded like a water drain, at times it was like a piece of loose metal vibrating in the wind, and at times it was both. At port on Day 1, I thought they were just pressure washing the sides of the ship. But when it happened at sea, I knew it was something else. They offered to move me to another room but that was more hassle for me than "enduring" the noise. I'm posting this so others can avoid that section of the ship when booking.

Happy belated birthday @Matt! Blessings!